Television base casting

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides for an integrally weighted base suitable for attachment to a bottom surface of an enclosure to form an integrally weighted cabinet. The integrally weighted cabinet is able to satisfy load bearing and tip over standards without requiring the addition of separate weights. The base preferably includes a frame and fill material disposed within the frame. The frame may be metal or plastic. Fill material is poured into the frame and allowed to set. The fill material may be any suitable material having a density sufficient to act as a weight or counterbalance, such as, e.g., concrete, a concrete and fiber mixture, metal, or a concrete and metal mixture. The base may further include a plurality of openings to dissipate heat from within the interior space of the cabinet. In one implementation of the present invention, the base replaces a bottom panel of a typical PTV cabinet and further eliminates the need for attaching separate weights onto a bottom panel of a typical PTV cabinet.

This is a Division of Ser. No. 09/898,411 filed on Jul. 2, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to projection television sets,and more particularly to an integrally weighted base that facilitatesstructural and operational stability in a projection televisionenclosure.

BACKGROUND

Projection televisions (PTVs) or “big screen” TVs are a popularalternative to traditional picture tube televisions because they providecomparably larger viewable screens that cannot be efficiently producedusing conventional picture tubes. PTV cabinets are presently designed tohold electrical and optical components, as required, to decipher andproject a television picture on a screen generally on the front of thecabinet. The most common PTV on the market today projects picturescreated via appropriate electrical and optical components onto a mirrorwithin a box containing the entire apparatus so that the picturereflected to a screen is as large as possible for the volume occupied bythe cabinet enclosing it. Currently, PTV screens typically range in sizefrom about 45 to about 73 inches along their diagonal, while thecabinets typically range in size from about 48 inches to over 65 inchesin height, from about 38 inches to over 65 inches in width, and fromabout 22 inches to over 29 inches in depth. The cabinets are assembledin an aesthetically appealing manner as required to hold the electricalcomponents, light generator(s), and lenses, mirror and screen in therelationship required to obtain the desired televised picture.

Most PTVs marketed today include a cabinet constructed from multiplepieces of particleboard cut and glued together. Some cabinets also haveplastic components held to the basic cabinet structure with screws orother fasteners. The number of plastic components and particleboardpieces needed to form such cabinets typically range in excess of fifty(50) pieces. Because of the size of PTVs, and the particleboard fromwhich the cabinets are typically constructed, PTVs tend to be quiteheavy and difficult to maneuver.

Alternative methods of manufacture are available that may reduce theoverall weight of these cabinets and the number of components necessaryto construct such cabinets. For instance, injection molding could beused to form such cabinets out of plastic. Another alternative would beto vacuum form the cabinetry out of plastic. A further alternative wouldbe to form the cabinet out of molded plastic foam.

The use of lighter weight materials to manufacture PTV cabinets leads toan additional problem in that the newer, light weight cabinets areeasier to tip over relative to the traditional particle board cabinets.For example, in addition to being lighter in weight, newer PTV cabinetsare also increasingly shallower in depth relative to traditionalcabinets. The shallower depth cabinets have a smaller footprint butstill generally maintain the same height as traditional PTV cabinets.Consequently, tip over for the newer cabinets becomes more likely whencompared with the traditional cabinets.

In order to ensure that they produce PTVs that are not likely to tipover, PTV manufacturers typically strive to meet certain safetystandards with respect to PTVs and PTV enclosures. One current standardis the Underwriters Laboratories (“UL”) load standard. The UL loadstandard requires that a PTV cabinet must be able to withstand 25 lbs offorce applied to any extremity of the cabinet without tipping over.Without the addition of some weight to the lower portion of the lighter,shallower PTV cabinets, these cabinets are more likely to fail the ULtip over test when compared with traditional particle board cabinets. Toaddress this problem, those skilled in the art currently addcounterweights to the base or lower portions of the lighter weight andshallower cabinets in order to enable these cabinets to withstand atleast 25 lbs of force applied to any of their extremities withouttipping over. Using one example calculation, the total weight for a PTVcabinet to avoid tip over is determined using the following formula:Minimum Weight=(25 lbs)(Height of the Cabinet/Depth of the Cabinet).

Turning to FIG. 1, a conventional enclosure 10 of a PTV 50 isillustrated. The conventional enclosure 10 includes top 12, bottom 14,front 16, and rear 18 panels. Side panels connecting the front 16 andrear 18 panels are also included, but not illustrated. The conventionalenclosure 10 is typically divided by an internal wall 24 into twocompartments, i.e., an upper 20 and a lower 22 compartment. Cathode raytubes (CRTs) 26 and printed wiring boards (PWBs) 30 are typicallymounted in the lower compartment 22, while a mirror M and a screen S aremounted in the upper compartment 20. At least one projection lens 28typically extends from the lower compartment 22 into the uppercompartment 20 through the internal wall 24. The upper compartment 20 istypically tightly sealed from the lower compartment 22 to protect theinside of the upper compartment 20 from dust and other foreignmaterials. The lower compartment 22 typically includes one or more setsof ventilation holes to exhaust heat radiating from the CRTs 26 and thePWBs 30. As shown, the lower compartment 22 may include a first set ofventilation holes 32 positioned adjacent the top of the lowercompartment 22 and a second set of ventilation holes 34 positionedadjacent the bottom of the lower compartment 22. When the enclosure 10is made shallower and/or is constructed using lighter weight materialsand methods, such as those previously discussed, counterweights 36 aretypically positioned in the lower compartment 22, and normally on top ofthe bottom panel 14. The counterweights 36 increase the enclosure'stotal weight and lower the enclosure's center of gravity. As a result,the counterweights 36 increase the amount of force required to tip overthe enclosure 10. Currently, counterweights 36, which may be metal,clay, or concrete bricks, additional particle board base pieces, or anyother suitable counterweights, are tied or otherwise physically attachedto the bottom panel 14 of the enclosure 10. The number of counterweights36 used in the cabinet 10, to enable the enclosure 10 to pass the UL tipover test, may be determined with the aforementioned formula.

The current methods for balancing a shallower, lighter PTV cabinetresult in several disadvantages. For example, the use of additionalparticle board bases to increase the weight and stability of thesecabinets often requires the additional use of forest products, therebycontributing to long term environmental deleterious effects. Also, theadditional step of adding a separate weight to a cabinet increases thecomplexity and cost of manufacturing the lighter weight PTV cabinets.There is also a danger that the weights may not be properly secured tothe cabinet during construction, thereby resulting in safety issuesshould the weights become dislodged during transport of the cabinet, orduring the lifetime of the cabinet. For example, the weights may becomedislodged and repositioned in an area that causes the cabinet to becomeunbalanced and more likely to tip over.

Those skilled in the art have failed to provide for a light weight PTVcabinet capable of passing standard load tests without the addition ofcostly counterweights. Thus, it would be desirable to provide for a PTVcabinet or an integrally weighted base suitable for attachment to a PTVcabinet that is easy and less costly to manufacture, mitigatesenvironmental damage by decreasing the reliance on wood as a materialfor counterweights, is less vulnerable to manufacturing irregularities,and results in a cabinet that meets any applicable load or tip overstandards for PTV cabinets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an integrally weighted base for usewith an enclosure to form an integrally weighted PTV cabinet. The baseacts to stabilize the cabinet and enables the cabinet to satisfy loadand tip over standards. The base of the present invention isparticularly useful when implemented as part of a lighter weight PTVcabinet, but is also capable of being used with traditional, wood-basedPTV cabinets.

In one embodiment, a base for attachment to a bottom of an enclosure,thereby forming a cabinet, is provided. The enclosure has a plurality ofside panels that form a footprint. The base is configured to conform tothe footprint of the enclosure. The base includes a frame that conformsto the footprint and fill material set within the frame. The fillmaterial may be concrete, metal, a mixture of concrete and fiber, amixture of concrete and metal, or any other suitable material. The framemay be metal, plastic, or any other suitable material. Additionally, theframe may be divided into a raised area with a top surface and a lowerregion adjacent the raised area. In this embodiment, the fill materialis disposed within the lower region of the frame. A plurality ofopenings may also be provided on the top surface of the raised area,allowing for ventilation to facilitate the dissipation of heat fromwithin the interior of a cabinet. Elevated portions having openingsconfigured for receiving an attachment element may be provided withinthe lower region that allows for a component to be secured to the base.

In another embodiment, a base is provided that is formed from a hardenedmaterial conformed to the footprint of an enclosure. In this embodiment,the base does not include a separate frame. The base may be formed ofmetal, a mixture of concrete and fiber, or a mixture of concrete andmetal. The base may be divided into a raised area having a top surfaceand a lower region adjacent the raised area. The top surface of theraised area may further include a plurality of ventilation openingsallowing for heat dissipation.

Another embodiment of the present invention is a cabinet for a PTVhaving an enclosure with a mirror, a plurality of CRTs, a projectionlens, and a plurality of panels, and a base attached to the enclosure.The enclosure preferably includes a top panel, a front panel, a rearpanel, and side panels extending between the front and rear panels.Attached to the top portion, and opposite the top panel of theenclosure, is a base having a frame and fill material disposed in theframe. The base provides stability to the cabinet and enables thecabinet to satisfy standard load bearing requirements. The base may alsoinclude at least one raised area, each raised area having a top surface,at least one lower region adjacent to each raised area, and fillmaterial deposited into each lower region. The top surface of the raisedregion may include a plurality of vent openings allowing heat built upwithin the enclosure to dissipate therethrough. In another embodiment,additional elevated regions are present on the base that allow forcomponents to be securably attached to the base. The fill material ispreferably a material sufficient to provide the necessary weight to theenclosure. Exemplary fill materials include concrete, a concrete andfiber mixture, a concrete and metal mixture, and a metallic material.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing anintegrally weighted base suitable for attachment to an enclosure of atelevision cabinet is provided. A frame is manufactured that conforms tothe footprint exhibited by the panels of the enclosure. The frame maybe, for example, a sheet metal stamping, molded plastic, metal casting,or wood. A fill material, which may be, e.g., concrete, a concrete andfiber mixture, a concrete and metal mixture, or a metal substance, ispoured into the frame and allowed to set or harden. To form a framelessbase, a mold is formed that conforms to the footprint of the enclosureand a compound is poured into the mold and allowed to set. The fillmaterial is allowed to set and is then abraded or ground such that thefill material forms a substantially flat surface. If the frame isdivided into raised and lowered regions, the fill material is typicallypoured substantially within the lower regions of the base, although somefill material may accumulate atop the raised region. Here, after thefill material has set, the fill material is abraded or ground such thatthe fill material forms a substantially flat surface that issubstantially level with the top surface of the raised region.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom consideration of the following description taken in conjunctionwith accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a projection television set of the prior art.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a base of the present invention, having a frameand fill material disposed therein, attached to a PTV cabinet.

FIG. 3A is a top view of an embodiment of the base shown in FIG. 2configured for a rectangular shaped PTV cabinet.

FIG. 3B is a top view of an embodiment of the base shown in FIG. 2configured for a pentagonal shaped PTV cabinet.

FIG. 3C is a top view of an embodiment of the base shown in FIG. 2configured for a custom shaped PTV cabinet.

FIG. 3D is a top view of an embodiment of the base shown in FIG. 2configured for another custom shaped PTV cabinet.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a base of the present invention without aseparate frame, attached to a PTV cabinet.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a base of the present invention having a frame,fill material within the frame, and a raised region along the frame,attached to a PTV cabinet.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the base illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a base having an elevated portion forattachment of a PTV component to the base.

FIG. 8A is a side view of a base having a frame with a plurality ofdimpled areas.

FIG. 8B is a side view of the base shown in FIG. 8A with fill materialdisposed within the frame.

FIG. 8C is a side view of the base shown in FIG. 8A with the top surfaceof the fill material abraded, and the tops of the dimpled areas removedin order to provide openings for the insertion of attachment elements.

FIG. 9A is a top view of an embodiment of a base having parallel,length-wise openings.

FIG. 9B is a top view of an embodiment of a base having parallel,width-wise openings.

FIG. 9C is a top view of an embodiment of a base having a plurality ofcircular openings.

FIG. 9D is a top view of an embodiment of a base having diagonallyparallel openings.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a base having a plurality of raised regions.

FIG. 11A is a side view of an unfinished base without a separate frameand having a plurality of dimples along its center.

FIG. 11B is a side view of the base of FIG. 11A after the base has beenabraded to remove the dimples and to expose a plurality of openingssuitable for heat dissipation.

FIG. 11C is a top view of the base shown in FIG. 11B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is adaptable for incorporation into cabinets for avariety of devices or display devices. The present invention isparticularly useful for implementation by manufacturers of cabinets whoattempt to make reasonable efforts to ensure that their cabinets arecapable of withstanding a reasonable amount of force to an extremitywithout tipping over. For example, the present invention is particularlysuited for use with cabinets to prevent the cabinets from tipping overdue to, e.g., children or animals climbing on or playing around thecabinets. The following discussion, however, focuses on cabinets for PTVsets for exemplary purposes only. In one preferred embodiment, a basehaving a frame and fill material disposed within the frame is provided.The base preferably conforms to the shape of the enclosure of a cabinetto which it is to be attached, thereby forming the bottom portion of thecabinet. The frame of the base may comprise a sheet metal stamping,metal casting, molded plastic, wood, or the like. The frames preferablyconform substantially to the footprint of the enclosure to which theresultant frame, and therefore base, will be attached. Alternatively,the base may be formed with substantially only the fill material, i.e.,frameless, by manufacturing a mold that conforms to the footprint of theenclosure and pouring the fill material directly into the mold.

Illustrated in FIG. 2 is one embodiment of a PTV cabinet 100 using thepresent invention. The PTV cabinet 100 includes an enclosure 110 havinga top panel 112, a front panel 116, a rear panel 118, and side panels(not shown) extending between the front 116 and rear 118 panels and infurther connection with the top panel 112. Furthermore, an enclosuresuitable for use with the present invention is not limited to one havinga front, rear, and two side panels. Rather, the present invention iscapable of use with an enclosure that has any plurality of side panels,such as, e.g., an enclosure shaped like an octagon. Additionally, anenclosure suitable for use with the present invention is not limited toa square or rectangle shaped enclosure but may be any suitable shape,such as, e.g., a trapezoidal shaped enclosure. The base of the presentinvention is formed such that it preferably conforms to the specificshape of the enclosure to which the base is attached.

The enclosure 110 is preferably divided by an internal wall 124 into anupper 120 compartment and a lower 122 compartment. CRTs 126 and PWBs 130are preferably mounted in the lower compartment 122, and a mirror M anda screen S are preferably mounted in the upper compartment 120. At leastone projection lens 128 preferably extends from the lower compartment122 into the upper compartment 120 through the internal wall 124. Theupper compartment 120 is preferably tightly sealed from the lowercompartment 122 in order to protect the inside of the upper compartment120 from dust and other foreign materials that might otherwise beintroduced from the lower compartment 122. The enclosure 110 ispreferably constructed using light weight materials and methods, suchas, e.g., molded plastic foam components formed from expandedpolystyrene or phenolic that is sandwiched between coatings of anappropriate structural material such as plastic. Appropriate materialsand methods to construct an enclosure using light weight materials arefurther described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/643,892 to Lowe entitled “Foam Cabinetry for Electronic Devices,”which is fully incorporated herein. Alternatively, the top panel 112,front panel 116, rear panel 118, and side panels (not shown) of theenclosure 110 may be constructed of injection molded plastic, vacuumformed plastic, particle board, other wood-based materials, or the like.

Rather than a bottom panel typical of the prior art, such as, e.g.,bottom panel 14 of cabinet 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, the PTV cabinet 100of the present invention includes an integrally weighted base 150. Inthe embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the base 150 includes a frame 151and fill material 158 located within the frame 151. The frame 151 ispreferably a stamped sheet metal frame formed using a master mold. Themold is configured in the shape of the desired frame, namely, the moldis configured to produce frames that conform to the footprint of theenclosure to which the base will be attached. To produce a metal frame151, a piece of metal, such as, e.g., a sheet of metal, is placed overthe mold. Subsequently, a stamping ram is used to press or force themetal into the contours of the mold, thereby forming a stamped metalframe 151 that substantially conforms to the contours of the mold. Sincethe mold is configured to conform to the footprint of the enclosure, theresultant stamped metal frame 151 also conforms to the footprint of theenclosure. Alternatively, a plastic material may be used to form frame151 in a manner known in the art. If the frame 151 is formed from metal,the frame 151 further acts as a radiation shield, i.e., a metal frame151 provides the base 150 with an additional function of being able toreduce the emission of electromagnetic radiation through the lowercompartment 116 of the enclosure 110. Additionally, when the frame 151is formed from a non-metallic material, such as, e.g., a plasticmaterial, and concrete is used as the fill material 158, metallic fibersor particles may be added to the concrete in order to impart someability to the base 150 to act as a radiation shield.

After manufacturing the frame 151, a fill material 158 is poured intothe frame 151 in order to provide sufficient weight to a cabinet usingthe base 150 to satisfy industry standard load bearing tests. In oneembodiment, the fill material 158 is a concrete mixture. When concreteis used as the fill material, a fibrous material may be added to theconcrete to provide structure within the concrete to increase thetensile properties of the fill material. In another embodiment, the fillmaterial 158 may be a metallic material. In still other embodiments, thefill material 158 may be any other material having a sufficient densitysuch that the resultant weight of the base 150 is sufficient to balancethe PTV cabinet 100 and prevent tip over.

After the fill material 158 is poured into the frame 151, the fillmaterial 158 is allowed to harden or set. After setting, the top of thefill material 158 is abraded or ground to substantially the same levelas the top of the frame 151, forming a substantially flat surface. Anysuitable process, such as, e.g., mechanical abrasion, chemical abrasion,or mechanical cutting techniques, may be used to abrade the fillmaterial 158. The base 150 is then attached to the enclosure 110 usingany suitable technique, including adhesives, brackets, rivets, screws,and the like. The process of setting fill material 158 into the frame151 is preferably accomplished after the frame 151 has been removed fromthe mold. It is contemplated, however, that the process of setting fillmaterial 158 into the frame 151 may be accomplished prior to the removalof the frame 151 from the mold.

As previously discussed, the base of the present invention may be shapedin any configuration that matches the profile or footprint of anenclosure to which the base is to be attached. FIGS. 3A-3D illustratetop views of several exemplary embodiments of base 150. FIG. 3A shows abase 150 a configured for attachment to an enclosure that issubstantially rectangular in shape. FIG. 3B shows a base 150 bconfigured for attachment to an enclosure that is substantiallypentagonal in shape. FIGS. 3C and 3D illustrate bases 150 c and 150 dconfigured for attachment to enclosures that are irregular in shape. Asevident in FIGS. 3A-3D, the shape of frames 151 a-151 d dictate theshape of respective bases 150 a-150 d.

Illustrated in FIG. 4 is a PTV cabinet 100(i) including an enclosure110(i) and another embodiment of the base of the present invention. ThePTV cabinet 100(i) includes substantially the same components as PTVcabinet 100 previously described and shown in FIG. 2. Additionally,enclosure 110(i) is capable of being constructed in substantially thesame manner as enclosure 110.

As with PTV cabinet 100, PTV cabinet 100(i) replaces a typical bottompanel or region of the prior art with a base 160. Unlike the base 150shown in FIG. 2, base 160 does not include a separate frame. Rather, tomanufacture the base 160, fill material 168 is poured directly into amaster mold. As with the manufacture of the frame 151 of base 150, themold used to produce the base 160 is configured in the shape of thedesired base. Generally, this shape corresponds to the footprint orprofile of the enclosure 110(i) to which the base 160 will be attached.In one embodiment, the fill material 168 is a concrete mixture. Whenconcrete is used as the fill material 168, fibers or fibrous material isadded to the concrete to provide structure within the concrete toincrease the tensile properties of the fill material 168. The additionof fiber to increase the tensile strength of the concrete isparticularly important with base 160, as compared to base 150, sincebase 160 does not include a separate frame to provide additional supportto the base 160. To impart some ability to shield radiation to the base160, the fibers added to the concrete may be metallic in nature or ifnon-metallic fibers are used to increase tensile strength, separatemetallic particles may be added to the fill material 168. Alternatively,the fill material 168 may be a metallic material. In still otherembodiments, the fill material 168 may be any other material thatpossesses a density greater than the material used to construct thepanels of the enclosure 110(i), and therefore a density that results ina weight sufficient to balance the PTV cabinet 100(i).

After the fill material 168 is poured into the mold, the fill material168 is allowed to harden or set. In one embodiment, after setting, thetop of the fill material 168 is abraded to a substantially levelsurface. Any suitable process, such as, e.g., mechanical abrasion,chemical abrasion, or mechanical cutting techniques, may be used toabrade the fill material 168. The base 160 is then attached to theenclosure 110(i) using any suitable technique, such as, e.g., screws,adhesives, brackets, or the like.

Turning to now to FIG. 5, a PTV cabinet 200 having an enclosure 210 andanother embodiment of the base, namely, base 250, of the presentinvention is illustrated. Additionally, FIG. 6 provides a close-up, sideview of the base 250. The PTV cabinet 200 includes substantially thesame components and is constructed in substantially the same manner asPTV cabinet 100 previously described and shown in FIG. 2. As with PTVcabinet 100, PTV cabinet 200 replaces a typical bottom panel or regionof the prior art with a base 250. The base 250 is attached to the frontpanel 116, the rear panel 118 and the side panels (not shown) of theenclosure 210, opposite the top panel 112 of the enclosure 210, to formthe bottom surface of the PTV cabinet 200. The base 250 preferably isdivided into at least one raised region or area 252 and at least onelower region 254 adjacent each raised region 252. The base 250 includesa frame 251 into which fill material 258 is set. The frame 251 ismanufactured in substantially the same manner, and is capable of beingmade using substantially the same materials, as frame 151 previouslydescribed and illustrated in FIG. 2. Reference is made to thedescription of frame 151 as that description substantially applies toframe 251.

Preferably, the fill material 258 is set in substantially the lowerregions 254 of the frame 251, although it is to be expected that somefill material 258 may also contact the raised region 252 during thisprocess. After the fill material 258 is poured into the frame 251, andpreferably substantially into the lower region 254 of the frame 251, thefill material 258 is allowed to set or cure. Preferably, once the fillmaterial 258 solidifies, the top surface of the fill material 258 isabraded or ground such that the top surface of the fill material 258 issubstantially level with the top surface of the raised region 252. Theabrasion or grinding process is preferably accomplished throughmechanically abrasive methods, although chemicals or any of the otherabrasion methods described herein may also be used during this process.

The base 250 may also include a plurality of openings 256 disposed onthe top surface of the raised region 252. When present, the openings 256allow for heat radiating from the components of the PTV, such as, e.g.,the CRTs 126 and the PWBs 130, to dissipate from the lower compartment116. To further increase heat dissipation from the lower compartment116, a set of ventilation holes 132 positioned on the rear panel 118 isoptionally provided. One skilled in the art would understand that thelocation of the set of ventilation holes 132 may vary depending on thedesired heat dissipation effect. In embodiments of the base 250 having aplurality of openings 256, any fill material 258 covering the openings256 is removed from the top surface of the raised region 252 during theabrasion or grinding process.

Turning now to FIG. 7, another embodiment of the base of the presentinvention, base 350, is illustrated. Base 350 has a frame 351 thatfurther includes a plurality of elevated portions 353 disposed withinthe lower regions 354 of the frame 351 in addition to a raised region352. Although two elevated portions 353 are illustrated, any multiplenumber of elevated portions 353 may be implemented in base 350. Theelevated portions 353 are configured for securably attaching thereto acomponent of the PTV, such as, e.g., the PWB 130, to the base 350. Eachelevated portion 353 may be solid but for an opening (not shown)configured for securably inserting an attachment element, such as, e.g.,a screw, therein. In practice, for example, the PWB 130 is placed atopthe elevated portions 353 prior to the coupling of the base 350 to thecabinet, and attachment elements are inserted through the PWB 130 andinto each opening of each respective portion 353. As a result, the PWB130 is secured to the base 350. Base 350 is manufactured insubstantially the same manner, and is capable of being made usingsubstantially the same materials, as base 250.

FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate another embodiment of the base of the presentinvention. Base 450 is formed with a plurality of dimpled areas 453that, when removed during the manufacturing process, leave openings 454through which attachment elements 456 may be securably inserted. FIG. 8Ashows base 450 with frame 451 having a plurality of raised, dimpledareas 453. The frame 451 of base 450 is formed using substantially thesame manufacturing process used when forming the frames of the otherbases previously described. For example, a process such as that used toform frame 151 of base 150 may be used to form frame 451. Further, thesame materials useable to form the other frames of the previouslydescribed bases, such as frame 151, may be used for frame 451.Consequently, reference is made to the description of the materials andprocess for forming frame 151, as that description also applies to thematerials and process for manufacturing frame 451.

After frame 451 is formed, a fill material 458 is poured into the frame451 and allowed to set or harden. As with the other bases describedpreviously, materials such as concrete, a concrete and fiber mixture, aconcrete and metallic mixture if plastic is used to form the frame 451,and a metallic compound are useable as the fill material 458. Once thefill material 458 is set, a suitable abrasive or grinding process isused to level the top surface of the fill material 458. Mechanicalabrasion or chemical abrasion may be used to perform this function.

Additionally, during the abrasion or grinding process, the tops of thedimples 453 are removed from the frame 451. As a result of the removalof the tops of the dimples 453, a number of openings 454 correspondingto the number of dimples 453 removed are formed. As illustrated in FIG.8C, the openings 454, formed after the removal of the tops of thedimples 453, are configured to allow an attachment element 456, whichmay be, e.g., a screw, to be securably inserted therein. A component ofthe PTV may be secured to the base 450 by inserting an attachmentelement 456 through the component and subsequently through an opening454.

FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate top views of several embodiments of base 250 ofthe present invention, showing possible configurations for the openings256 of base 250. FIG. 9A illustrates a base 250 a having openings 256 athat are oriented parallel relative to each other and also extend alongthe length of a raised region 252 and of the base 250 a. FIG. 9Billustrates a base 250 b having openings 256 b that are orientedparallel to each other but that extend along the width of a raisedregion 252 and of the base 250 b. FIG. 9C illustrates a base 250 chaving openings 256 c that are circular in shape and that are dispersedthroughout a raised region 252 of base 250 c. FIG. 9D shows a base 250 dhaving diagonally oriented openings 256 d on the raised region 252.Other configurations and shapes of openings 256 are also capable ofbeing implemented on the base 250, or any other of the previouslydescribed bases having openings allowing for the venting of excess heatfrom the interior of a PTV cabinet, of the present invention. Oneskilled in the art would appreciate that the configurations and shapesof the openings 256 may vary based upon the desired heat dissipationeffect, for example.

The present invention also provides for a base 550 divided into aplurality of raised regions. Turning to FIG. 10, a base 550 isillustrated that includes frame 551 divided into a plurality of raisedregions 552. Although two raised regions 552 are shown, it is envisionedthat any multiple numbers of raised regions 552 may be implemented inbase 550. The frame 551 of base 550 further includes lower regions 354adjacent to each raised region 552. Fill material 558 is poured into theframe 551, and substantially within the lower regions 554, allowed toset or harden, and then abraded or ground to substantially the samelevel as the top surface of the raised regions 552. The base 550 alsoincludes a plurality of openings 556, to allow for heat dissipation, onthe top surface of the raised regions 556. Any fill material 558 thatmay have accumulated over these openings 556 during the pour and setprocesses are abraded or ground in order to keep the openings 556unobstructed.

Turning now to FIGS. 11A and 11B, another embodiment, base 650, of thepresent invention is illustrated. Base 650 is similar to base 160,described previously and illustrated in FIG. 4, in that neither base 650nor base 160 has a separate frame into which fill material is poured andallowed to set. Base 650 is formed by pouring fill material 658 directlyinto a mold. Additionally, the mold for base 650 is configured to form abase 650 having a central area 652 with a plurality of dimples 660 overan open space 653. Once the fill material 658 hardens or sets, asuitable abrasive or grinding method is used to smoothen the top surfaceof the fill material 658. During the abrasion or grinding process, thedimples 660 are also removed, thereby leaving a plurality of openings656. The openings 656 allow heat to dissipate from the interior of thecabinet to which the base 650 is attached. FIG. 11C shows a top view ofthe base 650 and the openings 656 formed by the removal of the dimples660 during the abrasion process.

The bases of the present invention allow a cabinet to be integrallyweighted in a manner suitable for satisfying industry standard loadtests, such as, e.g., the UL tip over test, without the need for placingadditional, individual weights, see, e.g., counterweights 36 of cabinet10 in FIG. 1, inside the cabinet, unlike prior art cabinets. Oneadvantage of the bases of the present invention over the prior art isthat the possibility of individual counterweights, such as, e.g.,counterweights 36 of cabinet 10 in FIG. 1, becoming detached during themanufacture, transport, or life of the cabinet 10 is eliminated.Consequently, the ability of a cabinet using the present bases tosatisfy standardized load bearing tests throughout its lifetime isensured and maintained.

The particular examples set forth herein are instructional and shouldnot be interpreted as limitations on the applications to which those ofordinary skill are able to apply this device. Modifications and otheruses are available to those skilled in the art which are encompassedwithin the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing a cabinet having anenclosure and an integrally weighted base comprising: forming anenclosure having a plurality of vertical extending panels, wherein thepanels define a footprint; forming a frame that substantially conformsto the footprint of the enclosure, comprising providing a mold havingcontours that substantially conform to the footprint of the enclosure,placing a first material over the mold, and pressing the first materialagainst the contours of the mold; pouring a fill material into theframe; allowing the fill material to set; abrading the fill materialsuch that a top surface of the fill material is substantially level witha top surface of the frame; and attaching the frame, with the fillmaterial set therein, to the footprint of the enclosure.
 2. The methodof claim 1 wherein the fill material is concrete.
 3. The method of claim1 wherein the first material is plastic and the fill material includesmetal.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first material is metallic.5. The method of claim 1 further comprising: forming a plurality ofdimples on a top surface of the fill material, wherein each dimple has atop; and removing the top of each dimple to expose a plurality ofopenings suitable for venting of heat from the cabinet.
 6. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the mold is further configured to form a frame having araised region and a lower region wherein the raised region has a topsurface.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the raised region of theframe further includes a plurality of openings disposed on a top surfaceof the raised region.